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IRB Blog

This past Wednesday, the Indiana Roof Ballroom hosted our first Group Corporate Tasting, which debuted our new Winter Menu. Setting the scene for the wonderful evening, Markeys' stage screens transported guests to another world with designssuch as fireworks, seasonal leaves falling off of trees and fire. Guests were then welcomed with specialty drinks, some of the favorites being the Chai Chatta Latta and the Flying Fire, which featured a Ghost Pepper infused Bourbon.

The centerpiece of the night feautred PAMAtinis on an ice luge donated by Jose and Sons. Walking around the Ballroom, guests were able to sample different items from our Winter Menu at various food stations.

Station One showcased entrees such as Beef Tenderloin, Steak Diane, New York Strip Loin, and Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops. Station Two featured our favorite Poultry dishes such as Chicken Piccata with Penne Pasta, Cranberry and Panko Crusted Chicken, Chicken Bruchetta with a Roasted Tomato Cream Sauce, and Black Cherry and Brie Roulade with a Cognac Demi.Station Three stole the show with a Live Action Risotto Station that was accompanied with vegetables and Duck.

This Corporate Client tasting was a one of a kind event in which we were pleased to be the hosts and looking forward to another next season. Not only can we make your next event memorable, but the planning experience along the way will be easy and fun. Plan your next Coporate Event with us by contacting our office at 317.236.1870.

The Indiana Latino Scholarship Fund (ILSF) is a collaborative initiative founded out of the desire and need to provide talented Latino high school and college students with scholarships, enabling them to attend higher education institutions. Annually, the ILSF host a dinner to honor outstanding Indiana Latino students and raise funds for scholarships. The Indiana Roof Ballroom was honored to host the 2014 Indiana Latino Scholarship Fund dinner on July 10, 2014. The event was a great success and was able to raise over $350,000 in scholarships for Indiana Latino students. This year alone, more than 100 scholarships were awarded to 100 students. The impact that the ILSF has on students and the community is remarkable. Their efforts help to create new begginings for so many of Indiana's Latino student's. The Indiana Roof Ballroom is a proud partner and supporter of the Indiana Latino Scholarship Fund.

Butler University Dance Marathon hosted their annual celebration Gala at the Indiana Roof Ballroom on January 17, 2014. The Indiana Roof Ballroom was thrilled to take part in Butler University's fundraiser to benefit the families of Riley Childrens Hospital. The event included dinner, dancing, entertainment and a silent auction to raise money for Riley Hospital for Children. Guests were also priveleged to hear the inspiring stories from several Riley families.

BUDM is the largest student-led organization at Butler University. The dance marathon itself was held at Butler University the weekend prior and BUDM raised a total of $174,119.25 for the kids.

If you’re interested in hosting your own event at the Roof, contact us for more information! We hold corporate events, fundraisers, parties, and other special events! Our venue is also the perfect location for a wedding ceremony or reception.

October 13, 2013 marked the U.S. Navy’s 238th birthday! This year’s theme was “Defending America with Pride since 1775.”

The annual birthday ball was held at The Indiana Roof Ballroom to honor the Navy and it’s storied traditions as well as the seamen and soldiers that have passed away defending our great country. The ceremony included significant traditions, pageantries, awards and ceremonial tables remembering POW’s and MIA’s.

Other events that were part of the birthday celebration included: the parade of dignitaries, a bell-ringing ceremony, projecting of SECNAV/CNO birthday messages, singing of Anchors Aweigh, a classic Navy movie presentation, birthday Fun Run, re-enlistments, and history Stand-Downs/POD notes.

#USNavyBday was used to track the online worldwide social media conversation.

The Indiana Roof Ballroom was thrilled to host an event for Dr. Pepper, one of the sponsors of the Big 10 Football Championship, on Friday, December 6, 2013. The Roof was transformed into a raucous cocktail party complete with a three-sided Dr. Pepper themed bar, dueling pianos and an aerialist. The theme highlighted Dr. Pepper through the years. The dueling pianos got guests involved in singing popular tunes from decades past and the aerialist wowed onlookers with poetic movements high above the crowd.

The night had special meaning for several guests in attendance. The event surrounding the Big Ten Football Championship hosted the finalist in a contest to win a college scholarship. The finalist would compete the next night at the championship game to win the grand prize, a $100,000 scholarship. Dr. Pepper has given away $1,000,000 in tuition in 2013 to help students pursue their dreams.

The Indiana Roof Ballroom was chosen to host this Dr. Pepper event because of its perfect location, beautiful setting, outstanding food and service and its overall grandeur. The Roof is ideal for large corporate events, as well as wedding ceremonies and receptions. Contact us (link: http://www.indianaroof.com/contact-us) if you are interested in having your own event at the Indiana Roof Ballroom!

The Indiana Roof Ballroom, Indianapolis event center and banquet hall, was thrilled to welcome Liza Minnelli and Micheal Fienstein to join the long list of famous performers to capture the amazement of guests at The Great American Songbook event on June 28, 2013. The "Encore Gala", as it was called, is the annual fundraising celebration for The Palladium in conjunction with an awards show the following evening at The Palladium, in Carmel, to honor musical icons . The guests fortunate enough to attend were treated to creative cocktails, a piano bar, delectable hors d' oeuvres, an extensive silent auction, an equisite three course meal and first rate entertainment. The entertainment was highlighted by musical performances by Liza Minnelli and Micheal Fienstein. Liza commented when entering the historic Indiana Roof Ballroom "It's beautiful, I feel like I'm walking into a movie set". The magical night was another high note for the Roof and all in attendance. The beauty of the Indiana Roof Ballroom continues to delight guests and celebrities alike and the history of it's famed stage continues to grow with each thrilling performance.

The Snakepit Ball is Indianapolis' premiere event surrounding the famed "Greatest Spectacle in Racing", the Indianapolis 500. Each May, hundreds of thousands of race fans as well as celebrities, dignitaries and cultural icons descend on the great city of Indianapolis to take part in the storied tradition of the most famous 500 race on the planet. The festivities include weeks of practice and qualifying for the drivers, the 500 Festival parade, the Snakepit Ball and of course the Indianapolis 500 race.

The Snakepit Ball is an exclusive event for the celebrities, officiates and Indianapolis' social elite. The tradition dates back to the days of the "Snake Pit", the infield area of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway which in those days was the raucous party quarter of the Speedway. Today, the Snakepit Ball is a black tie affair that remembers the golden days of the Speedway. Each year the event includes red carpet arrivals, cocktail hour, exquisite dinner and dancing and rocking out to a national recording act. This year was no exception as Foreigner took to the stage of the Indiana Roof Ballroom and rocked the night away. The Snakepit Ball continues to be the social highlight of the "greatest spectacle in racing." The Indiana Roof Ballroom, Indianapolis' premiere event center, is honored to host the Snakepit Ball and to pay tribute to the storied past of the Indianapolis 500.

Prom season is upon us again and making your prom memorable and fun starts with picking the right venue. Several factors determine whether a prom is a smashing success or a discarded memory. Most importantly and first on the list of priorities is picking the proper venue. The venue should have enough room to support the size of your group and certainly "wow" the students. A venue with architechtural character and charm reduces the need to spend precious dollars on decor. Another consideration are the acoustics of the space. Outside of the venue, the entertainment (music and sound) is a critical determining factor in the overall success.

The Indiana Roof Ballroom has been providing wonderful prom memories to many Indianapolis area high schools for numerous years. The ambiance and decor of the "Roof" creates the perfect backdrop for the most magical prom experience. With little or no added decorations, the Indiana Roof Ballroom whisks you away into a starry night Spanish village. Under the twinkling stars and moon, the terra cotta rooftops, rod iron gates, lit windows and grapevine lined column arches transcend you into another time and place. The ballroom, originally designed for ballroom dancing and big band orchestras, has an accoustical sound unmatched by today's standards. The Indiana Roof Ballroom is the perfect venue to host a magical prom experience that will provide many treasured memories.

Thursday, April 11, 2013 coach Chuck Pagano joined the long list of famous people to grace the stage of the Indiana Roof Ballroom to speak of his recent battle to overcome cancer. He spoke to a crowd of approximately 450 guest gathered to honor the Brady Achievement Award recipients. His message about becoming the Colt's head coach following a trying time and also of his own tribulations was both moving and inspirational.

``They refused to live in circumstances, they lived in vision,'' Pagano said, referring to his players. ``What got me out of this hospital besides all the love and support from this community and this team and this owner was watching them (the Colts) fight. It's amazing what you can do when you have the proper state of mind. We can, we will, we must, no matter what the odds, no matter what the circumstances, we will get the job done.''

``We're all faced with circumstances, we all have conditions, we can focus on those or we can live in vision. I talked about mindset up there,'' he said, referring to the introductory video. ``When I took this job, this organization was completely blown up. Now you realize there are only 32 of these jobs, and it's completely blown up and you're certainly not going to say no if they offer you the position. ... They gave us zero chance to do anything. `` A moving speech from a determined cancer survivor capped another great night. #

I was recently looking through articles and came across an excellent article that explained how to find the perfect wedding venue. After reading through the article I realized that The Indiana Roof Ballroom is the perfect wedding venue - and the reasons why are below!

The first was that the space have “A Roomy Fit” – That is easy, we can fit up to 800 guests, but our average wedding is 180 – 200 people; allowing ample space for a dance floor and so that guests do not have to be squished around tables just to fit.

Next they pointed out having “Eating, Drinking and Partying Areas” – We use the bar lobby and promenade area for the cocktail reception, and then switch to the ballroom for dinner and dancing.

The next two items were “Privacy” and “Lighting” – When it comes to privacy the article described having a space that does not allow general public to walk through; as we are rented out you don’t have to worry about any unwanted guests entering the space during your wedding. As for “Lighting” we have so many unique theatrical options that you can incorporate into your ceremony and reception that it will be plenty bright and one of a kind!

The next two go hand in hand, “A Great View” and “The Right Color” – Our space, while it does not look outside, has such a unique feel it does not really need any extra decorating. The architecture within the space, and the hand painted ceilings is enough décor and blends in with most wedding colors, which helps you stay within your budget – also an added bonus!

“Ample Outlets” and “Good Acoustics” also go hand in hand – These two are simple, the space when it was first built was built for dances, therefore, we are equipped with plenty of plug-ins for your band or D.J. – and the acoustics are great!

Lastly “Plenty of Parking” was listed in the article – We are attached to the Embassy Suites Parking garage, but being downtown there is also a TON of other parking options within one block of us!

We really strive to be one of the most accommodating wedding venues in Indianapolis, and the article really helps go through some of the important things to look at when choosing your wedding venue. To read the article, click the link below:

So many times when I am giving site tours of the Indiana Roof Ballroom I talk with brides and grooms or parents of the bride or groom about how they are having trouble cutting down their guest list. I also hear a lot about how they feel they should invite so and so, or feel bad not inviting children; however, one thing that is very important when planning your wedding is staying within budget and your biggest cost is how large your guest list is.

We work really hard with our brides and grooms to stay within their budget that they have set for themselves, but the easiest way to ensure you will stay within budget is to have a solid plan when inviting guests to your wedding. I always try to explain how the method I used when I got married, but sometimes it just does not seem to come out the right way.

I found www.theknot.com to be very helpful in planning my wedding, so I went back to that website to try to find the article I read about how to determine who does or does not get invited. The link below is to the article and it does an excellent overview of how to determine who should come and it also gives a couple rule on how to determine who gets cut from the original list.

My hope with this week’s blog is that it will help ease the process of inviting guests for our brides and grooms. To look at pictures of prior weddings we have had here check out our photo gallery or video gallery.

Our dance floor was created with one-inch strips that were soaked so that they could follow the curves of the floor. One of the most unique aspects of having a wedding with us at The Roof is that you get to dance on the same floor as Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and many more.

We also have a series called the Big Band Dance Series that allows dance companies and ballroom dancers the opportunity to use our unique floor for a fun evening filled with dance. We often encourage our brides and grooms to practice their first dance at one of our Big Band Dances before their wedding day arrives.

One of the dance groups that we have seen for many years are the Indy Dancers. The Indy Dancers formed their club in 1983 originally as a disco club, however, throughout the years they eventually added in ballroom, Latin and swing dances. In 2002 Indy Dancers became incorporated and was established as a non-profit. Their motto is "We dance just for the fun of it."

Here at the Indiana Roof Ballroom the Indy Dancers come to our Big Band Dance Series, but they also schedule events with us privately. This year they are celebrating their 30th Anniversary Dance with us, and we are thrilled to have them back. Indy Dancers considers their dances parties, because they love having a fun time dancing. They meet every Tuesday and the first and third Saturday of every month at various locations around Indianapolis.

We are so appreciative of groups like the Indy Dancers who come to enjoy our unique ballroom floor. In the words of Lawrence Welk, the Indiana Roof Ballroom has “the most comfortable dancing surface in the world;” what better place to have your first dance as a husband and wife!

This week we have been very busy here at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, as we have had wedding tastings all week. Many times when we show the room to potential brides or grooms they ask us if they are allowed to have a tasting, in order to try the food before they pick their menu.

Tastings here at the Roof are set up in such a way that you not only get to try our fabulous food, you get to see different room look ideas, meet with our technical representative and meet our management team that will work with you throughout the process of planning your wedding.

We love being able to offer this time for you to come in and be pampered by our staff before your wedding, because it allows us more time to get to know you and you more time to get to know us.

Below are two pictures of how the ballroom is setup during tastings. The room setup allows our brides and grooms to see the different gobos and lighting options, and even some different linen options!

I wanted to write a short blog today about how creative our culinary staff is here at the Indiana Roof Ballroom. We are a full-service facility, meaning we have our kitchen on site. Being a full-service facility provides tons of advantages when holding a wedding or corporate event here. Our executive chef and sous chef love to come up with unique menu choices that are customized to your event’s theme.

In preparation for an upcoming event where pork is the main feature, our talented sous chef created Applewood Smoked Bacon dipped in chocolate! Now I know I previously had a blog, that clearly showed my love for chocolate, but one of my other favorite foods is bacon! Combing the two is like going to food heaven for me, and I am sure that many of you can agree!

Here is a picture of the chocolate covered bacon that was so delicious!

As the New Year begins, we hope that everyone had a great holiday season. Our staff definitely enjoyed the couple days off for the holidays, but we are ready to get started with 2013’s events. Our first event of the year was this past Saturday.

The interesting thing about this wedding was that the bride had been to our venue previously for her high school prom. We always ask brides and grooms if they have ever been to an event here, and so often we hear our clients say that they were here for their proms. One of the things that we love so much is that our clients fall in love with the venue in high school, get married here several years later, and then celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with us even farther down the road.

The mother of the bride and bride came up with a very clever idea that they shared with us. They purchased red and white corsages, representing the colors of their high school, for their guests who had attended the prom with the bride.

We love having the ability to create such one of a kind events allowing clients to have multiple events with us, but each event is able to have a unique feel. To see pictures from some of the different events we have here at the Indiana Roof Ballroom, check out our galleries here.

The last couple weekends we finished out 2012 with weddings and they went off without a hitch. As many of you know when planning a wedding there are many different vendors involved. One of the vendors we see and work with often is the florist, as they have a huge job to do, especially if we are having the ceremony and reception here at the Indiana Roof Ballroom.

The last weekend of 2012 we had a ceremony and reception on Saturday and Sunday. While it was a busy weekend for us, our clients chose some excellent vendors that we wanted to give a special thanks to.

On Saturday Angie from BoKay Florists was here to help with the wedding, and she did a fantastic job getting everything ready and helped us get centerpieces set when we flipped the room after the ceremony. To check out BoKay’s website feel free to follow this link: www.bokayindy.com

On Sunday we had another fabulous wedding and McNamara Florist was the vendor present that we want to thank. Allen, from McNamara, did a fantastic job of getting everything ready. He personally took the time to pin every boutonniere on and get the flowers to the correct individuals. Allen even helped fluff the bride’s wedding dressing right before she made her grand entrance down the aisle. To check out McNamara’s website follow this link: www.mcnamaraflorist.com

In light of it being National Chocolate Candy Day, I thought I would share some images from our culinary staff. We always have delicious desserts, and me being a major fan of chocolate, I thought I could share a few pictures of those wonderful chocolate desserts we have to offer!

These desserts are available for corporate events and even for weddings. We have chocolate desserts that are as simple as a brownie or as complex as a chocolate zuccotto, with some in between deliciousness as well!

Here at the Indiana Roof Ballroom everything is in house, which means you do not have to worry about an off-site caterer bringing the food in. Everything is fresh, hot and as for the desserts I am about to show you…full of chocolate!

I was reading the article linked below that shows the before and after shots of events with and without lighting. I thought this article would be a good reference as to how important lighting truly is, and how lighting makes every event one of a kind.

We are able to do amazing things with the lighting; whether it is the different color façade lighting, gobo patterns on the floor, pin spots on the center of every table, or even a simple star and moon effect on our domed ceiling.

The image above is from a corporate event we had last week in downtown Indianapolis. To see more corporate or social event images with the different lighting opportunities take a look at our Indianapolis event venue photo gallery.

Have you always dreamed about making a grand exit from your wedding reception, with all of your friends and family sending you and your new spouse into your happily ever after? Well, this couple didn't want to take any chances on being able to capture that once in a lifetime image most brides dream about for their big send off.

The Bride and Groom decided to make a grand entrance instead. With the red carpet rolled out and all of their loved ones waiting, sparklers in hand, they made their shinning entrance into the Ballroom. This was such a great idea and we had to share it with you!

For more pictures of this gorgeous wedding, check out the post from Nathanial Edmunds blog here.

The Indianapolis Gridiron returned to Indianapolis this year after being gone for nearly a decade. In the spirit of bringing old traditions alive, the 2012 Gridiron Dinner was back on the calendar and sponsored by the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute. Previously sponsored by the Indiana Press Club, the Gridiron was a "laugh fest and the social highlight of many sessions. The best lines were repeated for days and hallways reverberated with laughter at the recollection of the powerful being verbally skewered in good-natured fun, in the spirit of bi-partisianship," according to some Gridiron History.

We were very fortunate to be able to host such a historical event here at the Indiana Roof Ballroom!

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